Siphonage breaker



Nov. 19, 1935. G. l.. SMITH ET AL 2,021,390

SIPHONAGE BREAKER Filed June 5, 1954 #HMM Patented Nov. 19, v1935 PATENT OFFICE SIPHONAGE BREAKER George L. Smith and Ward F. Smith, Canoga Park, Calif.

Application June 5, 1934, Serial No. 729,044

1 Claim.

Should a valve or faucet (at a lower level) be opened under conditions when a toilet flush tank is partly filled and the water pressure is reduced,

' or the supply shut olf a siphonic action will take place through the piping resulting in drawing the flushing water from the tank into the system.

While this state only exists under conditions as above set forth, the admission of water from the flush tank into the system causes the same to become contaminated either with disease germ's or slime that accumulates within such tanks.

Flush tank ball cock valves are usually provided with rell tubes which, under normal conditions, would prevent a siphonic action, however, they often become clogged resulting in thereafter effecting a siphonic action as above referred to.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for use in connection with water closet flush tanks inlet valves which will prevent a siphonic action under the conditions above stated.

Siphonic action also occurs under the condia tions above stated with usual flush valves in fact a more undesirable condition as the siphonic action draws water in the toilet bowl through ports within the flush valvegand bowl into the system.

Another object is to provide an attachment for use in connection with toilet flush valves which will positively prevent water in the toilet bowl from being drawn therefrom into the water system by siphonic action under the conditions above set forth.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the description reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is longitudinal section taken through a toilet flush tank.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing thedevice of the invention connected to the usual ball cock valve.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section takenA through the improved device.

4 is a horizontal section taken on l4--4 of Fig.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a toilet bowl (parts being broken away and shown` in section) together with a flush valve equipped with the improved device.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, I designates a usual toilet tank in which is mounted a vertically disposed inlet pipe I I that is provided at its upper end with a valve housing I2. Formed on the valve housing and communicatingwith its interior is an elbow I3 from which extends downwardly a discharge pipe I4, which pipe serves to silence the discharge of water into the tank I0.

Communicating with the interior of the valve housing and extending therefrom is a conduit I5, commonly referred as the rell tube which conveys water from the valve housing into the overow pipe I6 during flushingand refilling of the toilet bowl.

Slidably mounted in the valve housing and arranged to engage a seat I'I, therein is a plunger valve I8 that serves to shut olf water entering l5 the tank when the proper water level has been reached, movement of the valve being effected by a fioat I9 through the usual linkage 20 and arm or lever 2I connected thereto. 'While the above parts arey of standard construction they r have been shown and described in order to more clearly bring out the operation of the present invention in connection therewith, the device being generally designated at 22.

Device 22 consists of a hollow body housing 25 23 having a reduced lower end portion 24 in which is mounted a member 25 that supports a ball valve 2B. Ball valve 26 is hollow in order to render the same buoyant and serves to prevent discharge water into the tank Ill during lling of the same, at which time the ball engages a seat 21 and closed a port 28 formed in aplug 29 that is screw threaded into the upper end of the body 24.

Member 25 is provided with a plurality of upstanding arms 30 which serveto guide the ball 35 valve towards the seatv 2'I, and has a plurality of ports 32 formed therein at a. point below the ball valve. The member 26 is externally threadedk as indicated at, 33 for connection with an elbow 34 which in turn is adapted to be con- 40 nected to the valve housing as shown in Fig. 2.

Assuming that the conduit or rell tube I5 is clogged (under conditions when the flush tank is not equipped with the device 22) the tank partly lled, the water supply diminished or shut off and a valve or faucet located at a lower level than the tank is opened, a siphonic action will take place drawing water upwardly through the pipe I4, thence through valve housing I2, and downwardly through pipe II into piping leading to the faucet that has been opened.

Siphonic action, under conditions above referred to is prevented by the device 22, due to equalizing the atmospheric pressure within the valve housing and pipe I4 through the ports 32 55 and 28. Referring more specifically to Fig. 5, 32 designates a conventional toilet bowlhaving a flushing rimA 33 and an auxiliary duct 34 formed therein that communicates with an inlet pipe 35 5 which in turn is connected to a usual flush valve 36.

The Siphonic action breaker device 22 of the vconstruction above described isadapted to be connected with the flush valve 36 at a point below the lower piston valve therein not shown.

Tilting of the oscillating lever 38 of the ush -valve 36 releases the pressure in its upper chamber, the action of which permits opening of said valve due to the hydrostatic pressure in the supply pipe resulting flushing of the toilet bowl.

The ushing action decreases and finally stops when the pressure in the chamber in the flush valve again becomes equalized with the pressure in the supply pipes through the by-pass not shown forcing the diaphragm or plunger downward to a seated position.

During the ushing operation, a Venturi action is formed through the siphonage breaker 22, should this action cease through lack of velocity, the same action takes place in the siphonage breaker as heretofore described in connection with the ball cock valve.

In instances when water pressure in the supply pipe is low, (due either to excessive use or from a shut oif) a vacuum will be created in the piping leading to the ush valve should a valve or faucet at a lower level then be opened. At such times pressure in the flush valve chamber will be relieved through the by-pass tube or port (not shown) permitting the tilting or lifting of the plunger or diaphragm by atmospheric pressure 5 exerted on the surface of the water in the toilet bowl causing the same to pass therefrom through the duct 34 into the supply pipe. 4

Under such conditions the supply pipe forms I the long leg and the duct 34 and flushing rim 33 l0 of the toilet bowl the short leg of the slphon should a valve or faucet at a lower level be opened. Siphonic action through a siphon thus established is prevented by equalization of air pressure on the Water in the toilet bowl flush 15 valve through the ports 28 and 32 in the device 22.

We claim f A siphonage breaker for toilet flushing systems comprising a tubular body member having an enlarged upper chamber. a ball valve support 20 mounted in said body member and forming a seat, a hollow ball normally engaging said seat, a plug having a port and a seat formed therein .mounted in and closing the upper end of said Ving said ball into engagement with the seat in said plug for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE L. SMITH. 3?

WARD F. SIVIITH. 

